Massachusetts did not shape up as an even average state at the start of
the year, but UMass righthander Matt Torra made more strides this spring
than possibly any college pitcher in the country. Boston College pitchers
Mike Wlodarczyk and Joe Martinez also showed significant improvement,
raising the entire profile of the state.(National ranking in parentheses)

1. MATT TORRA, rhp (National rank: 23)School: Massachusetts.Hometown: Pittsfield, Mass.B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-3. Wt.:
225. Birthdate: June 29, 1984.Previously Drafted: Never.Scouting Report: Torra is the top talent in New England
and could be a prime target for the Red Sox, who have six picks before
the start of the second round. But their first doesn’t come until
23rd overall, and Torra was rising so fast this spring that he may not
be around. He should move quickly through the pro ranks as well, and possibly
even to Double-A by the end of the summer, because he’s one of the
most complete pitchers in the draft. Despite pitching on a weak UMass
club, everything came together for him this spring. He dedicated himself
to getting in better shape and has become a pitching prototype. Big and
strong at 6-foot-3 and 225 pounds, Torra gets his fastball up to 92-94
mph, touches 95 and holds the velocity deep into games. He repeats his
delivery and has command of two plus pitches: his fastball and a 12-to-6
curve that has been clocked at 83. His changeup needs work but projects
as big league average. Torra has learned how to control the pace of a
game much better this year and didn’t give up a home run in 95 innings,
while posting a Division I-best 1.14 ERA—a sharp drop from a 4.90
ERA in 2004. He gave up only 56 hits altogether and walked 16 while holding
opponents to a .172 average. Despite those numbers, he was just 6-3 as
he was the lone bright spot on a team that went 16-33 overall. He pitched
several games with pitch counts of more than 140 or 150 pitches—a
workload that raised a few eyebrows among scouts.

OTHERS TO WATCH
(Numbers in parentheses indicate rank in Massachusetts)

Colleges Provide Solid Seniors

Six-foot-5, 230-pound LHP Mike Wlodarczyk (2) was
drafted in the 15th round by the Expos last summer, and made an astute
decision to return for his senior year. He was moved from midweek starter
to become Boston College’s ace, and went 10-2, 2.96 with 83 strikeouts
in 79 innings. Wlodarczyk developed a lot of confidence last summer
in the Cape Cod League, going 4-0, 2.08 for Hyannis. He tightened up
his release point and has developed command of four pitches, including
a 91-92 mph fastball and a vastly improved curveball.

Like Wlodarczyk, senior RHP Joe Martinez (3) benefited
significantly pitching last summer on the Cape for Hyannis. After going
just 3-5, 7.23 combined as a sophomore and junior for the Eagles, the
6-foot-3, 185-pound Martinez went 8-3, 2.63 as a senior, showing some
of the potential that prompted the Pirates to draft him out of a New
Jersey high school in 2001. He throws three pitches for strikes, including
an 88-91 mph fastball, and keeps hitters off balance with a true 78
mph curve—his strikeout pitch. He fanned 97 in 89 innings this
year. Scouts say he should be even better as a pro as his 6-foot-3,
185-pound frame is undeveloped.

While his 2-6, 4.21 record may not reflect it, RHP Devin Monds
(5) also showed improvement this year, though he remains inconsistent.
The 6-foot-5, 240-pund senior impressed scouts with three solid pitches,
including an 88-91 mph fastball and knuckle-curve, when he worked 10
no-hit innings in a game this spring, only to get a no-decision. But
his wildness resurfaced in other outings, a byproduct of an unorthodox
delivery. Monds, a resident of Ottawa, has an interesting pedigree.
His dad Wonderful played in the Canadian Football League. His brother,
Wonderful III, played professional baseball while his stepbrother Mario
plays for the NFL’s Cincinnati Bengals. Monds was not affected
by this spring's visa situation because he is a dual citizen of the
U.S. and Canada.

Monds’ Northeastern teammate Chris Emmanuele
(8), on the other hand, is a Canadian. He led Northeastern in batting
(.340), home runs (11), RBIs (40) and stolen bases (17) this spring
and showed he can do it all on the field. He’s an above-average
runner but scouts say he needs work at getting better jumps on the bases
and in center field.

Six-foot-7, 220-pound RHP Nathan Freiman (7) was
the state’s top high school prospect at the outset of the year,
but scouts backed off him as his fastball was only 87-90 mph and a below-average
curveball showed little improvement. He didn’t pitch well enough
for most teams to consider buying him away from a college commitment
to Duke. As Freiman’s stock waned, scouts took more interest in
LHP Scott Barnes (4), who mowed down hitters with a
91 mph fastball while average more than two strikeouts an inning.